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User blog:Samanthafan09/Celebrate Black History Month with "Dear America"
Happy Black History Month! I came up with the idea for this blog post, after receiving ''With the Might of Angels in the mail yesterday. Here's a list of books from Dear America and its spin-offs that feature an African-American lead (and one African since I'm including Nzingha) during important moments in history. In no particular order: 1. A Picture of Freedom by Patricia C. McKissack :Short summary: In this book, Clotee, a twelve-year-old slave, secretly teaches herself how to read and write in 1859. :About the book: The fourth book in the Dear America series, it was published twenty years ago in March 1997. In 1999, the book was adapted into a short film for the HBO Family Channel. It also has been republished several times in the My Story (UK) and Mon Histoire (France) series. :My feelings: In my opinion, A Picture of Freedom is one of the most important books in the series to read. It explains slavery simply for young readers and forms a good foundation of the concept to be built upon later. The book was also one of my favorites when I was little. 2. Corey's Diaries by Sharon Dennis Wyeth :Short summary: Young slave, Corey Birdsong escapes with his parents and make their way to freedom through the Underground Railroad. :About the books: Three books, Freedom's Wings, Flying Free, and Message in the Sky, in the My America series. These are aimed at slightly younger audience than the typical Dear America reader. They are very easy to read and are a good choice for reluctant readers. :My feelings: I haven't read Message in the Sky yet, so I can't vouch for its ending yet. Overall, I really liked the first two books when I was young. Corey was also my favorite character in the My America series. 3. Color Me Dark by Patricia C. McKissack :Short summary: Nellie Lee Love's father moves his family to Chicago to escape racism and segregation in 1919. :About the book: Published in 2000, Color Me Dark was McKissack's second book for the Dear America series. It was also adapted into a short film for the HBO Family Channel. 4. Down to the Last Out: The Journal of Biddy Owens by Walter Dean Myers :Short summary: Biddy Owens plays for Birmingham Black Barons in the Negro Leagues during 1948. :About the book: The book is a member of the often over-looked series, My Name Is America. It was released in April 2001 and was written by acclaimed author, Walter Dean Myers, whom you might recognize from reading Monster in school. 5. I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly by Joyce Hansen :Short summary: An orphan, Patsy learns how to read and write in 1865. After the Civil War, Patsy becomes a teacher for other former slaves. :About the book: Winner of the Coretta Scott King Honor Award, this book was published in October 1997. :My feelings: I often compared this book to A Picture of Freedom as a child, but I still loved them both. Of course, I realize now how important the Reconstruction Era was. 6. Nzingha: Warrior Queen of Matamba by Patricia C. McKissack :Short summary: In 1595, Nzingha, daughter of the leader of the Mbundu people of Ndongo (present-day Angola), defends her homeland from foreign invaders. :About the book: The only book in The Royal Diaries set in Africa, it was published in September 2000. 7. The Journal of Joshua Loper by Walter Dean Myers :Short summary: Joshua Loper dreams of being a cowboy and goes on his first cattle drive in 1871. :About the book: The third book in the My Name Is America, it was released in April 1999. Also written by Walter Dean Myers. :My feelings: I actually read this one in high school. It is a sweet and simple story compared to the other books on this list. 8. Look to the Hills by Patricia C. McKissack :Short summary: Lozette "Zettie," a French slave, moves to America with her masters in 1763 towards the end of the French-Indian War. :About the book: One of the last books in the Dear America series, it was published in April 2004. It was also McKissack's third and final book for the series. 9. With the Might of Angels by Andrea Davis Pinkney :Short summary: Dawnie Rae Johnson attends a previously all-white school, after the Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education. :About the book: One of the more recent books in Dear America, after Scholastic relaunched the series in 2010. It was published in September 2011. 10. A Desperate Road to Freedom by Karleen Bradford :Short summary: Julia May Jackson escapes a slave plantation with her family. They make the treacherous journey to freedom in Canada. :About the book: The only book in Dear Canada to feature a black main character. It is the twenty-fourth book in the series and was published in September 2009. :Happy reading and try to learn about black history throughout the whole year, not just one month. Category:Blog posts